Thursday, July 8, 2010

Great wines from Burgundy female winemakers

My story in the LA Times about female Burgundy winemakers doesn't really recommend specific wines. So I'd like to supplement it here with notes on a few great wines I tasted.

Winemaker Lorraine Senard-Pereira
Domaine Comte Senard
importer: Pas Mal, Michael Feuerstein (NY)

I had a really hard time finding availability of these wines even though Lorraine's brother Mathieu runs a San Francisco-based fair-trade food company. Pity, because they're fabulous.

Comte Senard Corton Grand Cru blanc 2008: An earthy wine with strong lime flavors, great minerality and a long, loamy finish. 94

Comte Senard "Clos du Roi" Corton Grand Cru 2008: Vibrant cherry with spicy notes on nose, good acidity and a medium-long finish. Excellent now; should have good staying power. 93


Winemaker/owner: Clotilde Davenne

Les Temps Perdus Vielles Vignes Saint-Bris 2008: A rarity in Burgundy, Saint-Bris is the only region that makes white wine from Sauvignon Blanc, not Chardonnay. Made from 100-year-old vines, this minerally wine has vibrant green mango and apricot notes and a chalky finish. Excellent. 93

Clotilde Davenne "Les Clos" Grand Cru Chablis 2008: Restrained wine with nice lime fruit and chalky minerality. Built for the long haul. 92

Clotilde Davenne "Les Preuses" Grand Cru Chablis 2008: This one got an audible "wow" from me. It smells like chalky soil. The lime as taut and vibrant, and it's so minerally I could practically feel it scratching my tongue. 94




Winemaker Nadine Gublin
Domaine Jacques Prieur

Domaine Jacques Prieur Volnay-Santenots Premier Cru 2008: Juicy black cherry that persists throughout a long finish. You can taste some vanilla from new oak barrels, but the wine can handle it, though I would give it at least 4-5 years to incorporate it. 93

Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune-Greves Premier Cru 2008: Beautiful black cherry fruit with notes of cola and black plum. Gentle finish. 91

Domaine Jacques Prieur "Les Combettes" Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2008: Bright green apple, so juicy that it almost has an apple-juice character. Just a hint of toast on the finish. Let this one settle for a couple of years at least. 91





Owner/winemaker Anne Parent (sorry, no photo)
Domaine Parent

Domaine Parent Corton Grand Cru blanc 2008: Aged for 16 months on 100% new oak, and there's no question about that on the palate, but this wine from limestone soils wears the wood well. Toasty wine with plenty of green apple and toasted coconut and a long warm finish. 94

1 comment:

Sue Boxell said...

Apart from Lorraine Senard-Pereira, I could have written this article. At Grand Jours de Bourgogne I photographed Anne Parent, Nadine Grublin & Clothilde Davenne. These are winegrowers whose wine I like my clients to taste! I do love the wine at Conte Senard, particularly the Corton Charlemagne. I loved Ann Parent's white Corton which I tasted first at the Femmes et Vins de Bourgogne side tasting earlier this year. I posted your article 'Great Wines from Burgundy female winemakers" on my Facebook for business page!